Elastic-fluid turbine



April 21; 1925.

o. JUNGGREN ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE M 5 W W v m 6 m M 2 h P w WAAMC TmApril 21, 1925.

O. JUNGGREN ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 20, 1923Invennov:

Am 7% M6 sfw w m. J A S w m c S O Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,534,716 PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR JUNGGREN, OF SCHENEOTADY, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE.

Application filed July 20, 1923. Serial No. 652,853.

To all whom it may concern:

" Be it known that I, Osonn JUNGGREN, a

citizen of the United States, residin at Schenectady, county ofSchenectady, tate of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to elasticfluid turbines and especiallyelastic-fluid turbines intended for operation with pressures higher thanthose now in common use. To obtain better efficiencies in elastic-fluidturbines, the use of elastic fluid of higher and higher pressures isbeing resortedto and this makes increasingly difficult the problem ofproviding a structure sufiiciently strong to confine the elastic fluidwithout resorting to unduly heavy parts, and sufficiently tight toprevent leakage. This is particularly true at the high pressure oradmission end of the turbine where the casing is subjected to thehighest pressure and also'the highesttemperature. 7

The object of my invention is to provide an improved structure which,while being comparatively light in weight, is at the same time amplystrong to safely confine the high pressure elastic fluid, and also toprovide 30 a structure which is fluid-tight and will remain so under allconditions of operation.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention,attention is directed to the accompanying description and 3 the claimappended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view of a structureembodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22,Fig. 1, and drawn to a smaller scale.

Referring to the drawing, 5 indicates the shaft of an elastic-fluidturbine, 6 the surrounding casing or shell, 7 the admission conduitwhich conveys elastic fluid to an annular chamber or chest 7 and 8 theexhaust conduit. In Fig. 1 only the admission end of the turbine isillustrated. The end wall at the high pressure end of the turbine casingis indicated at 9 and is formed integral with surrounding casing orshell 6. Mounted on shaft 5 are the turbine bucket wheels 10, andcarried by easing 6 are the diaphragms 11 which divide the turbine intostages. Only the first of the high pressure stages are shown in Fig. 1of the drawing but it will be understood that the turbine may compriseany suitable number of stages. The casing is split horizontally asindicated at 12, this being the usual arrangement used to makeassembling and dismantling convenient.

Now, according to my invention, I provide a solid annular ring structure13 which surrounds shaft 5 and serves to tie or anchor end wall 9 to thesurrounding casing wall 6, at the same time serving with endwall 9 todefine the annular elastic-fluid chamber 7". The end wall 9 is subjectedto the pressure of the high pressure elastic fluid in chamber 7 so thereis a large force tending to push it outwardly and since it is splithorizontally it is much less able to withstand this pressure than wouldbe the case were it a solid annular ring. It follows, therefore, thatwith prior structi'ires it would be necessary to make the headexceedingly heavy if it were required to withstand high pressure, athing to be avoided not only because of the additional weight but alsobecause an extremely heavy wall means high heat stresses as the wallexpands and contracts with changes in temperature. By the use of a tiering or anchoring ring which connects the head to the main turbineshell, strength and support is given to end wall 9 so it need not bemade extremely heavy in order to hold the pressure to which it issubjected. The structure 13 being in the form of a solid ring has greatstrength and is able to lend support to end wall 9 without itself beingunduly heavy.

Ring structure 13 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as comprising a plateportion 14: having a rim 15 which fits in a groove 16 in the two halvesof easing 6, and a cylindrical portion 17 which extends axially alongthe shaft and has a rim 18 which fits in a groove 19 in the edge of thecentral opening in end wall 9. The elastic-fluid pressure in chamber 7serves to hold the annular, radially-extending, engagin surfaces A and Bof rims 15 and 18 in close contact with the walls of grooves 16 and 19so that leakage is prevented. The axially-extending surfaces C, D and Eare spaced apart to permit of radial expansion of ring structure 13relatively to the turbine casing. Bolted to plate portion 14 is a nozzlering 20 for directing elastic fluid to the buckets of the first stagewheel 10 and in plate 15 are suitable passages 21 through which. theelastic fluid flows to the nozzles.

Between ring structure 13 and the shaft 5 there is arranged a suitablepacking 22 to prevent leakage of elastic fluid, the stationary portionof the packing being fastened to structure 13 as indicated at 23. Anysuitable form or arrangement of packing may be used as found desirable,the one illustrated being a packing of the nature of that disclosed andclaimed in my co-pend ing application Serial No. 627,221, filed March23, 1923.

In assembling the turbine, ring structure 13. isplaced: over the shaftbefore the rotor is lowered into the lower half of the turbine shell.lVhen the rotor is then placed in the, lower half of the shell, rims 15and 18 are guided. into grooves 16 and; 19 so that the ring structurewill be supported in vertical position. The ring is centered by theannular surface F. The upper half of the turbine casing is then put intoplace in the usual manner, the portions of grooves 16 and 19 in ittakingover rims 15 and 18. As will be clear, ring 13 does not interfere withthe assembly or dismantling of the machine or with removal of the upperhalf of the casing for inspection purposes. As is well understood, thediaphragms 11 are usually split horizontally and the upper halves areflxed; in the upper half ofthe turbine casing.

My invention, while it is of particular utility in connection withturbines intended for operation at high pressures, for example,pressures of the order of 300 lbs. and higher,

the invention may be carried: out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,--

The combination in an elastic-fluid turbine, of a rotor having a shaft,a surrounding split casing, an end wall formed integral. with thecasing, said end wall having an opening through which the shaftprojects, a solid ring structure having an axially-extending hub whichsurrounds the shaft in spaced relation thereto, said ring structureserving to anchor the end wall to the surrounding casing, and definingwith the end wall an elastic-fluid chamber, a packing structure attachedto and carried by the hub in the spaces between it and the shaft,whereby said packing structure moves radially with the ring structurewhen the ring structure expands and contracts, and nozzle means carriedby said ring structure.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of July,1923.

OSCAR J UNGGREN.

